Mongolia is a land-locked country in the North-East Asia bordering China with 4.673 km in the south and Russian Federation with 3485 km in the north. The total territory of the country is 1.566 million square kilometers making approximately 1 square kilometers per 1.6 persons and 18th largest country in the world. The territory of Mongolia is larger than territories of Great Britain, Germany France & Italy together. It is located on average altitude is 1580 meters above the sea level. The largest Mongolian mountain range, the Altai Mountain, is located in the western part of the country. This range of mountains stretches for 1500 km. The highest point in the country, Mount Huiten (4374m above the sea level) is in the Western Altai Mountains the lowest point, Huh nuur (560m) is found in Dornod province. Vast steppe dominated in eastern and southern part of country, the largest one is called Menengiin Tal (250, 00 square km).
Climate:
Mongolia is high, cold, and dry. It has an extreme continental climate with long, cold winters and short summers, during which most precipitation falls. The country averages 257 cloudless days a year, and it is usually at the center of a region of high atmospheric pressure. Precipitation is highest in the north, which averages 20 to 35 centimeters per year, and lowest in the south, which receives 10 to 20 centimeters. The extreme south is the Gobi, some regions of which receive no precipitation at all in most years. The name Gobi is a Mongol meaning desert, depression, salt marsh, or steppe, but which usually refers to a category of arid rangeland with insufficient vegetation to support marmots but with enough to support camels. Mongols distinguish gobi from desert proper, although the distinction is not always apparent to outsiders unfamiliar with the Mongolian landscape. Gobi rangelands are fragile and are easily destroyed by overgrazing, which results in expansion of the true desert, a stony waste where not even Bactrian camels can survive. Average temperatures over most of the country are below freezing from November through March and are about freezing in April and October. January and February averages of -20° C are common, with winter nights of -40° C occurring most years. Summer extremes reach as high as 38° C in the southern Gobi region and 33° C in Ulaanbaatar. More than half the country is covered by permafrost, which makes construction, road building, and mining difficult. All rivers and freshwater lakes freeze over in the winter, and smaller streams commonly freeze to the bottom. Ulaanbaatar lies at 1,351 meters above sea level in the valley of the Tuul Gol, a river. Located in the relatively well-watered north, it receives an annual average of 31 centimeters of precipitation, almost all of which falls in July and in August. Ulaanbaatar has an average annual temperature of -2.9°C and a frost-free period extending on the average from mid-June to late August. Mongolia's weather is characterized by extreme variability and short-term unpredictability in the summer, and the multiyear averages conceal wide variations in precipitation, dates of frosts, and occurrences of blizzards and spring dust storms. Such weather poses severe challenges to human and livestock survival. Official statistics list less than 1 percent of the country as arable, 8 to 10 percent as forest, and the rest as pasture or desert. Grain, mostly wheat, is grown in the valleys of the Selenge river system in the north, but yields fluctuate widely and unpredictably as a result of the amount and the timing of rain and the dates of killing frosts. Although winters are generally cold and clear, there are occasional blizzards that do not deposit much snow but cover the grasses with enough snow and ice to make grazing impossible, killing off tens of thousands of sheep or cattle. Such losses of livestock, which are an inevitable and, in a sense, normal consequence of the climate, have made it difficult for planned increases in livestock numbers to be achieved.
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resumen mapas Mongolia Asia Previsión
Population:
Current population
1 462 298
Current male population (49.4%)
1 499 977
Current female population (50.6%)
54 822
Births this year
140
Births today
15 821
Deaths this year
41
Deaths today
Mongolia population 2015 During 2015 Mongolia population is projected to increased by 43 528 people and reach 2 966 801 in the beginning of 2016. The natural increase is expected to be positive, as the number of births will exceed the number of deaths by 43 528. Because of the lack of official information related to external migration we do not include it to our estimation. Most probably the difference between immigrants and emigrants is not significant and is close to zero. That means the population of Mongolia is changing mainly due the natural reasons only (births and deaths). Population dynamics in 2015 According to our estimations, daily change rates of Mongolia population in 2015 will be the following:
168 live births average per day (6.98 in a hour)
48 deaths average per day (2.02 in a hour)
0 people due to external migration (0.00 in a hour)
The population of Mongolia will be increased by 119 persons daily in 2015.
Mongolia population density Mongolia population density is 1.9 people per square kilometer as of December 2015. Density of population is calculated as permanently settled population of Mongolia divided by total area of the country. Total area is the sum of land and water areas within international boundaries and coastlines of Mongolia. The total area of Mongolia is 1 564 120 km2 according to the United Nations Statistics Division
Language:
Khalkha Mongolian, the official language, is spoken by about 90% of the population. It is one of a large dialect group in the Mongolic branch of the Altaic language family. Early in the 13th century, the Mongols adopted an alphabet written in vertical columns from the Turkic Uighurs, and they retained that script until modern times. The literary language differed increasingly from the living spoken language and, in 1941, the Mongolian government decided to introduce a new phonetic alphabet that would accurately reflect modern spoken Mongolian. The new alphabet consisted of the Cyrillic letters used in Russian, except for two special characters needed to render the Mongolian vowels represented as ö and ü in Western European languages. After a period of preparation (1941–45), the new alphabet was introduced in 1946 in all publications and in 1950 in all business transactions, but, following independence, the traditional script was due to be restored in 1994.
The differences between the Khalkha language spoken in Mongolia, the Buryat language spoken in the Buryat Republic of the Russian Federation, the Chahar and Ordos languages of China's Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region, and other Mongolian dialects are comparatively small and chiefly phonetic. A characteristic phonetic feature of Mongolian is the law of vowel harmony, which requires that a word contain either the so-called back vowels, represented as a, o, and u in Western European languages, or the so-called front vowels, represented as e (ā), ö, and ü, but not an association of the two types of vowels. Turkic, Russian, and Chinese are also spoken.
Religion
Before the government's campaign against religion in the 1930s, there were about 700 Buddhist monasteries with about 100,000 lamas in Mongolia. During 1936–39, the Communist regime closed virtually all monasteries, confiscated their livestock and landholdings, tried the higher lamas for counterrevolutionary activities, and induced thousands of lower lamas to adopt a secular mode of life. In the mid-1980s, only about 100 lamas remained. Since the new constitution of 1992 established freedom of religion, Mahayana Buddhism has made a surprising resurgence. Former monasteries have been restored, and there is a seminary at Gandantegchinlen Hiyd. In 1992, Roman Catholic missionaries were also encouraged to come to Mongolia to continue the presence they had initiated earlier in the century.
A 2004 report indicated that about 50% of the population practiced some form of Buddhism, mostly Lamaist (or Tibetan) Buddhism. About 4% of the population were ethnic Kazakh Muslims. There were small Christian communities throughout the country, including Roman Catholics, Russian Orthodox, and Protestants. It is believed that some natives practice shamanism. About 40% of the population still claims no religious affiliation.
The constitution provides for freedom of religion and the separation of church and state. However, the government has reserved the right to place some restrictions on religious activities. For instance, the government can limit the number of churches and clergy allowed for each religious organization. Religious groups are required to register through the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs.
Buddhist Monastery
Migrations
Migration in Mongolia, like in most countries of the world, is a survival strategy. Migration is not a new strategy in Mongolia – it now takes a new form to face new challenges, and is led by individuals' and families' choices, not by the state's plans. The present urban population is above one million. In recent years, Mongolia has experienced as continued rural to urban migration flows, particular to Ulaanbaatar, in search of better life. According to 2000 population and housing census (NSO, 2001), one third of the total population of Ulaanbaatar as migrants and representing almost a half or 965.3 thousand population of Mongolia live in Ulaanbaatar (NSO, 2006). Population is unevenly spread on the Mongolian territory, indicating its dual character of an urban population as well as a nomadic population relying on livestock. The overall migration and population distribution scenario dramatically changed due to the economic and development policies of the Government since 1950s. Until 1980s it was a period of industrialization, collectivisation and the transformation nto a modern industrial-agricultural society. During the introduction of collectivisation of livestock and initial industrialisation, the rural outflow to urban areas increased substantially. Industrialization, building of railroads and expanding of crop industry since 1960s had caused a visible change in the population resettlement. Thousands of people from all corners of the country moved to and settled in newly established towns and small villages along the railroad. Aimag (province) centres grew larger. Small and médium towns and soums with several thousand inhabitants were established. All of them developed into education, trade and administration centres. From 1956-1969 the urban population increased three times while the rural population grew only by 10 per cent. And in the mid of 1970s the urban population exceeded the rural population. In these days, the major industrial-urban concentrations proved as strong as magnets for migrants. These include the Capital city Ulaanbaatar, and newly established industrial-urban centres Darkhan, and Erdenet. During this period (i.e. before 1980s), as a consequence of the industrialization policy, which created industrial complexes in existing urban locations and at new sites; marginal increases in rural production that could not absorb the growing rural population; and administrative channelling of job movement to urban areas where labour resources were needed, rural to urban migration was intensively increased. The propensity to migrate within Mongolia has fluctuated appreciably over the last twenty years. Due to data availability trends of internal migration have illustrated for the period of 1983-2004 (Figure 1). Overall, the level of internal migration fell by almost 20 percent during the late 1980s after having increased during the mid 1980s except the year of 1985. During the 1980s, urbanization was significantly increased. Urban dwellers were rapidly becoming a majority of the entire population of the country. Almost 60 per cent of the total population lived in urban areas in that time. A growing population of urbanpopulation was living in three big cities (Ulaanbaatar, Darkhan and Erdenet) and aimag centres. Since 1991 internal migration level has suddenly increased owing to the beginning of the transition period from a centrally planned economy to a market oriented one. In 1991, the total number of migrants reached to 134.6 thousands, it means 5 times higher than that for the early 1980s (Figure 1). There seems no doubt that the explanation for the increased migration level in the 1990s is to be found in the effects of changes in the economy, society, and political affairs. During this period economic development is accompanied by structural changes and the reforms been undertaken. Since the country embarked on a transition to a market guided economy, the normal patterns of development have been reversed. During the 1990s, the following migration patterns have been obviously observed in Mongolia. Those are:
During 1991-1996, the countryside was a recipient of migrants due to privatisation of livestock and people’s recruitment into herding; urban-to-rural migration increased and thus the rural population increased in size; and
During 1996-2000, rural-to-urban migration again predominated.
Data from the 2000 census indicates that 20.7 percent of the population lived outside their places of birth and 5.0 percent returned to their birthplace Since 1990 Mongolian people have started enjoying their freedoms and travelled abroad extensively. The socio-economic situation in Mongolia, unemployment, low remunerations and income are the primary factors contributing to international migration.
UN
Small countries like Mongolia, the international organizations, in particular the United Nations, play a pivotal role with regards to protecting their national interests through the political and diplomatic means, communicating their prospects and voice concerning the issues on the global agenda as well as making progress in the development path. Therefore, the position multilateral cooperation occupies in and contribution it makes to the achievement of Mongolia’s foreign policy goals has been increasing.
Since its fully-fledged membership on October 27 1961, Mongolia has been an active member of the UN participating and contributing to its activities and purposes. With the UN membership Mongolia ensured its independence and sovereignty, safeguarded its security and strengthened its position in the international community. The UN supported efforts of Mongolia in its socio-economic development, environment protection, democracy promotion and human rights. In this way Mongolia benefited significantly from its UN membership and multilateral cooperation.
Mongolia participated and committed itself to the implementation of the decisions from the UN major conferences and summits, which took since 2000, on children, financing for development and transit cooperation of landlocked developing countries.
Mongolia initiated more than 70 resolutions in the General Assembly, of which 10 were adopted in the past five years. General Assembly resolutions on “UN Literacy Decade (2003-2012),” “Support by the UN system of the efforts of Governments to promote and consolidate new and restored democracies,” “Improvement of the situation of women in rural areas,” “Cooperatives in social development” request UN and its system organizations as well as Member States to take concrete steps towards resolving issues raised in the above resolutions.
Mongolia is active in the following concrete areas: Mongolia’s international security, UN peacekeeping operations, socio-economic development, addressing special needs of landlocked developing countries.
Economy
In recent years Mongolia has become one of the most rapidly expanding economies in the world. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, it was one of the top performers in 2013, with economic growth of 11.7 per cent, and it is projected to be the second top-performing economy in 2014, only after South Sudan (about 15 per cent).
Mongolia is a sparsely populated country with a total population of 2.9 million. Because of the economy’s rapid expansion over the last few years, the World Bank now classifies Mongolia as a mid-low income country for per capita income, and it is expected to enter mid-high income in the near future according to Mongolia’s Ministry of Economic Development.
The main driver of this rapid economic expansion has been the mining industry’s development. Mongolia is richly endowed with natural resources. With increasing commodities prices in the world market for the past 15 years, the mining sector’s share in GDP increased from 14 to 25 per cent. Mongolia’s main export commodities are copper, gold and coal, and Mongolia is now one of the major coal exporters to China, briefly overtaking Australia in 2011 and 2012.
Moreover, it is expected that during the next five years major mining projects of copper (Oyu Tolgoi project) and coal (Tavan Tolgoi project) will reach their full potential, likely further increasing economic expansion. By some estimates, Mongolia’s GDP will reach US$25 billion by 2020, which is 2.5 times the size of today’s economy.
These developments haven’t gone unnoticed in the world market. Mongolia has become one of the most attractive economies for investors. In 2013 alone the Mongolian government sold US$1.8 billion of bonds in world markets, which is a testament to the strong upside expectation of the economy.
Therefore a major policy question is whether Mongolia has enough safeguards in place to protect itself from drastic fluctuations in its terms of trade. Inside Mongolia there is broad agreement about the need to conduct countercyclical macroeconomic policies — especially that the government should be saving during good times to be able to maintain the level of expenditure during economic troughs and stimulate the economy when needed. However, looking at the past 10 years of policymaking, Mongolian governments have found it hard to implement these policies in practice.
During and after the 2008–09 world economic crisis the difficulties of implementing and maintaining these policies were on full display. One problem was that, in order to win elections, political parties had great incentives to promote and execute populist policies, such as cash distributions to citizens. To stop these kinds of policies, which greatly hurt macroeconomic stability, major political parties agreed to control this practice and the parliament passed the Fiscal Stability Law in 2010, putting limits on government debt, increases in expenditure and the budget deficit. However, even this law was not enough to discipline the government.
Since the country desperately needs to develop and expand its infrastructure to promote economic diversification, the government has found it hard to resist spending more. Its efforts in raising capital by issuing bonds in foreign and domestic markets, and spending it through the newly established Development Bank of Mongolia (DBM), have undermined the spirit of the Fiscal Stability Law. At the end of 2013, budget deficit was at 8 per cent of GDP (including the DBM’s loans) and the overall debt level already exceeded the limit of 40 per cent of GDP set out by the law.
While the Mongolian government finds itself maintaining increasingly expansionary fiscal policies, the Bank of Mongolia (the central bank) is simultaneously undertaking expansionary monetary policy by extending more credit to government and commercial banks. As a result, in 2013, inflation reached 12 per cent and the exchange rate depreciated more than 20 per cent.
It should be noted that the exchange rate’s sharp depreciation was also exacerbated by a decrease in the country’s terms of trade. In contrast to previous years, the terms of trade depreciated by 15 per cent in 2013. Subsequently, the current account deficit for the year reached US$3 billion, or 28 per cent of GDP, and foreign direct investment decreased by 48 per cent (Mongol Bank – Balance of Payment statistics).
This sudden reversal in foreign direct investment also reflects another great challenge for the country. It is evident from the experiences of resource-abundant countries that the quality of institutions is a key ingredient in successfully taking advantage of the opportunities presented by the mining boom. That is, if a country’s institutional quality remains weak, the country will not be able to attract foreign investment, which is of paramount importance to reaching full economic potential.
Flag
The Mongolia flag consists of 3 vertical colored stripes: red, blue, red. Within the left-hand stripe is the Buddhist Soyombo symbol, which has become the national symbol of Mongolia. The Soyombo symbol and the colors of the flag manifests Mongolia's Buddhist heritage. The blue symbolizes the colour of the land of the blue sky. It has Buddhist associations with the sky, purity and healing. Blue prayer flags are commongoly left on buddhist ovoos throughout Mongolia. Visitors may be given a blue flag by a local, a special gesture meaning their prayers are with you. The red symbolizes freedom and advancement. No doubt the communists were content to leave it on the Mongolia flag from 1920s to 1990s due to its associations with Socialism. The Soyombo Symbol The (gold) Soyombo symbol is the national emblem of Mongolia. It appears in the country's coat of arms. Meanings: There is a surprising amount of variation in the interpretations of this symbol: every source seems to have its own spin on things. This is because the Soyombo symbol was created by a Buddhist lama over 300 years ago, and most religious scripts and records were burned during Communist repressions, so it's impossible to reach a definitive answer. Starting from the Top: The fire represents eternal growth, revival and renewal, with the three prongs signifying yesterday, today and tomorrow. It sits atop the Sun and Moon, which is more commonly read to symbolize the universe (but it is also interpreted as the origin of the Mongolian people, or that the Mongolians will live forever, depending on what you read). Under this is are symbols taken to be arrows. Their meaning is a willingness to defend their values, or to vanquish their enemies. Between the arrows on the Mongolia flag is a ying-yang symbol (ancient Chinese symbol depicting the complementary dualities of light and dark, man and woman, old and young, etc.). Some say it is a symbol of two fish (the fish meaning vigilance as they never close their eyes) but given the Soyombo was created by a Buddhist with strong links to China I think the yin-yang is far more likely. Surrounding this are two vertical rectangles, which are typcically taken to represent stone walls of a fortress, symbolizing strength and unity.
The Soyombo symbol on a communist military medal. The symbol is seen everywhere in Mongolia these days as locals sport it on car stickers, key chains, and even tattoos with meanings as a nationalist or patriotic symbol. During the communist years (but since removed) a 5-point star was placed on top of the fire in the Soyombo symbol. This gold star on a red background signifies that your country has been taken over by an autocratic, authoritarian communist government. It represents forced collectivization, removal of personal freedoms, the wholesale destruction of a nation's history and culture, the execution of the educated and religious classes, and the removal of a capitalist elite to be replaced by an equally corrupt and nepotistic socialist beauracracy....doesn't it? Origins: The Soyombo symbol is part of a special Mongolian alphabet called the Soyombo script. Mongolians of course currently use the Russian cryllic script, and the more commonly-known ancient Mongolian script is a script separate from the script containing the Soyombo symbol. The Mongolian script is still used in Inner Mongolia today, and originated from the Uighur alphabet [the Uighurs are a Turkic people who today form the indiginous minority in Chinese Xinjiang province, which neighbors Chinese inner Mongolia and borders south-western Mongolia].
Goverment
On January 13, 1992, the Parliament adopted a new constitution. The Constitution also restructured the legislative branch of the government by creating a unicameral parliamentary legislature. The Constitution was put into force on February 12, 1992 and amended in 1999 and 2001.
The Parliament of Mongolia is referred to as the State Great Khural, which is the highest organ of state power. The Parliament consists of 76 members appointed for a term of four years. The last parliamentary election was held on June 28, 2012 and the next parliamentary election is expected to be held in June 2016.
The Parliament confirms the appointment of the Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers. The Parliament has the power to draft legislation, enact and amend laws, approve the annual budget, approve foreign and domestic policies, declare states of emergency and war and ratify international treaties and agreements.
President of Mongolia
The President is the head of state, commander-in-chief of the armed forces and head of the National Security Council. The President is second in authority to the 76-member Parliament. Presidential candidates are nominated by political parties that have at least one seat in the Parliament. Presidents are elected by absolute majority vote to serve a four-year term and are limited to serving two terms. The President is empowered by the Constitution to submit a proposal for the nomination of the Prime Minister, which is then subject to approval by the Parliament, call for dissolution of the Cabinet, initiate legislation and veto all or parts of legislation passed by the Parliament. The President may also confirm appointments of judges, appoint ambassadors, grant pardons and enter into international treaties. Executive branch The Prime Minister is the head of the executive branch. The Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Ministers are nominated by the ruling party and confirmed by the President. They are limited to serving a four-year term. The Prime Minister chooses the members of the Cabinet, subject to the Parliament’s approval. The Cabinet appoints and removes deputy ministers on the basis of the proposal of the Prime Minister and the relevant Minister. The Cabinet is the highest executive body of Mongolia. The Cabinet is in place for a four-year term or a shorter term when it is dissolved upon either resignation of the Prime Minister, simultaneous resignation of half of the Cabinet or parliamentary vote for dissolution. The Cabinet and its ministries are accountable to the Parliament. The main function of the Cabinet is to implement the laws of Mongolia, in accordance with its duties to direct economic, social and cultural development of Mongolia. The Cabinet is currently coinposed of 16 ministries, which carry out the Cabinet’s various programs and projects and formulate policies in their relevant areas. The current Government During Mongolia’s seventh parliamentary elections held on June 28, 2012, the Democratic Party won 31 parliamentary seats, the MPP won 25 pailiamentary seats and the other parties shared 16 parliamentary seats in the Parliament. The Democratic Party having won the most number of seats in the Parliament was entitled to form the current government. They formed a coalition government with the Justice Coalition, which consists of the New MPRP and the MNDP, and the Civil Will-Green Party, as the two minority parties. The new coalition government has been named the Reform Government.
Political Parties
The Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP), which had been the single ruling party since 1924, legalized opposition parties in 1990. In addition to the MPRP, major parties prior to the 2004 elections included the Motherland Democratic Party (MDP), which included the Mongolian National Democratic Party (MNDP), the Mongolian Social Democratic Party (MSDP), the Green Party (NYAM), and the Mongolian Democratic Party of Believers (MDPB); Mongolian Conservative Party (MCP); Democratic Power Coalition, which included the Mongolian Democratic Renaissance Party (MDRP) and Mongolian People's Party (MPP); Mongolian National Solidarity Party (MNSP); Bourgeois Party/Capitalist Party; United Heritage Party (UHP), which included the United Party of Herdsman and Farmers, Independence Party; Traditional United Conservative Party, and Mongolian United Private Property Owners Party; and the Mongolian Workers Party. In the first election for the State Great Hural (SGH) 28 June 1992, the MPRP won 56.9% of the vote and 71 of 76 seats in the SGH. In the first direct presidential election, 6 June 1993, President Punsalmaagiyn Ochirbat (first elected president 3 September 1990) was reelected with 58% of the vote. A former member of the MPRP, Ochirbat defeated that party's candidate, running as head of a coalition of the SDP and MNDP. In the elections of 30 June 1996, the Democratic Union Coalition (which included the MNDP, the MSDP, and two smaller parties) defeated the MPRP, winning 50 of 76 seats (an increase of 44 seats). The MPRP won 25 seats, and the remaining seat went to the MCP. The DUC campaign platform included the Mongolia's Contract With Voters, which promised to cut government spending, reduce welfare, and reorganize the transformation of the government. In the July 2000 parliamentary elections, MRPR candidates won 72 or the 76 seats, with the remaining 4 seats won (one each) by MNDP, the Civil Courage Party or Civil Will Party (CWP) in alliance with the Mongolian Green, the Motherland Alliance (the Mongol Democratic New Socialist Party and the Mongolian Labor Party), and an independent nonpartisan candidate. General elections held in 2004 resulted in an impasse, as neither the MPRP or nor the main opposition, the Motherland Democratic Party (MDP), held the 39 seats required to form a government. The MPRP was dealt a devastating blow with a reduction in parliamentary seats from 72 to 36. Electoral fraud was suspected on the part of the MDC and a recount was ordered. Parliament was not able to meet for the first half of 2004 as neither side wished to pursue legislation while the electoral investigation was ongoing. In August, the MPRP formed a coalition with the MDC and Tsakhilganiin Elbegdorj retained his post of prime minister for a second term.
Tsajiagiin Elbegdorzh ,president of Mongolia
History
Foreign Policy
Since the development of political pluralism and transition to democracy and market economy, Mongolia pursues peaceful, open, independent and multi-pillared foreign policy. Today the country maintains diplomatic relations with 163 countries. In 2011, the contemporary diplomatic service celebrated its Centennial anniversary and Golden anniversary of membership of Mongolia in United Nations Organization. Mongolia is successfully developing friendly relations and cooperation with our two neighbors, third neighbors and many western and eastern countries. Relations with UN organizations and other international and regional organizations deepened and Mongolia’s participation increased in multilateral regional activities, which led to strengthened reputation of our country in international arena. Mongolia successfully chaired the Community of Democracies for the years 2011-2013 and organized the VII Ministerial Conference of the Community of Democracies in Ulaanbaatar on 27-29 April 2013. Taking into account the ever changing external and internal environment as well as objectives and challenges ahead of us, State Great Hural of Mongolia passed renewed concept of foreign policy of Mongolia in February 2011. As a part of foreign policy priorities of Mongolia, bilateral relationships with Russian Federation and People’s Republic of China has elevated to a new strategic partnership level while expanding close cooperation. At the same time, relations and cooperation with “third neighbors” has advanced. For instance, strategic partnership relations with Japan and comprehensive partnership commitment with United States, Germany, Republic of Korea, India and Turkey have been strengthened respectively. Meanwhile, more substantial progresses have been achieved in relationships and cooperation with European Union and its member countries which is considered as one of our foreign policy priorities. Mongolia continues to actively advance diplomacy to strengthen its position in the Asian region, to intensify bilateral relationships with other regional countries, to engage to a dialogue on political, security and economic cooperation of the region and to participate in the regional integration processes. As expanding its traditional relations with Asian partnership states, Mongolia has strengthened friendly relations and cooperation with ASEAN member countries and thus increased frequency of high-level visits. Mongolia’s accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia in 2005 shows a clear and convincing evidence of its commitment to expand its relationship with ACEAN. Within the regional cooperation frameworks, Mongolia engages, through its certain assigned status, in important regional integration events and mechanisms, including the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD), the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) and the Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC) and the Bali Democracy Forum (BDF).
Domestic Policy
Mongolia is a relative newcomer to a market economy. Prior to the former government's (NDU) ascension to power, an estimated 80% of the Mongolian economy was under state control and the government budget remained unbalanced. Enkhbayar faces many of the same issues as former Prime Minister Amarjargal, including significant social and economic dislocations caused by economic change in the previous decade, particularly increased homelessness, hunger, and crime. As of 2001, an estimated 35% of the Mongolian population was living below the poverty line. About 50% of the population live and work in rural areas, while more than 40% are heavily dependent on nomadic, herding lifestyles, subsisting largely on bartering and the sales of leather, wool, milk, and meat. In the wake of dzud (severe blizzards) in the winters of 2000 and 2001, more than 75,000 families in inner Mongolia were near starvation. By January 2001, more than 220,000 heads of livestock were lost due to the storms. This prompted the influx of foreign aid, particularly food aid. In 2000 and 2001, the European Union (EU) provided around € 2.9 million to address the consequences of the dzud. Enkhbayar had several goals, including maintaining both political stability and a multiparty democracy, improving the economy, and reversing the decline in standard of living. Even with a strong commitment to aggressive privatization, the economic situation in Mongolia is bad: growth is slow and fails to attract adequate foreign investment. Enkhbayar has implemented plans to raise wages and pensions and to reorganize the rural herding economy to boost the incomes of nomadic people; however, this continued to prove difficult. While privatization has made pasturing near urban areas more lucrative, herders are finding that there is not enough viable pasture land near cities. The lack of roads makes herding in urban areas more unmanageable, especially during winter months when 90% of the country may be covered in snow and roads inaccessible. Enkhbayar's vision of reform includes a plan for modernization and urbanization that may seem to be at odds with the traditional nomadic lifestyles of many Mongolians. In an interview with theFar Eastern Economic Review , he stated: "It is not my desire to destroy the original Mongolian identity, but in order to survive we have to stop being nomads." Enkhbayar proposed building cities across the country and urbanizing up to 90% of the population over 30 years. The project proposes the construction of "Millennium Road," a crosscountry highway, and the development of Internet, communications,and banking infrastructures by 2015. The US $200 million needed for the road project alone will necessarily come from a combination of domestic and foreign sources. Enkhbayar cites international lending agencies, fees for mineral exploration licenses, and government funds as possible sources.
Mis Datos País
Mongolia
Localization:
Mongolia is a land-locked country in the North-East Asia bordering China with 4.673 km in the south and Russian Federation with 3485 km in the north. The total territory of the country is 1.566 million square kilometers making approximately 1 square kilometers per 1.6 persons and 18th largest country in the world. The territory of Mongolia is larger than territories of Great Britain, Germany France & Italy together.It is located on average altitude is 1580 meters above the sea level. The largest Mongolian mountain range, the Altai Mountain, is located in the western part of the country. This range of mountains stretches for 1500 km. The highest point in the country, Mount Huiten (4374m above the sea level) is in the Western Altai Mountains the lowest point, Huh nuur (560m) is found in Dornod province. Vast steppe dominated in eastern and southern part of country, the largest one is called Menengiin Tal (250, 00 square km).
Climate:
Mongolia is high, cold, and dry. It has an extreme continental climate with long, cold winters and short summers, during which most precipitation falls. The country averages 257 cloudless days a year, and it is usually at the center of a region of high atmospheric pressure. Precipitation is highest in the north, which averages 20 to 35 centimeters per year, and lowest in the south, which receives 10 to 20 centimeters. The extreme south is the Gobi, some regions of which receive no precipitation at all in most years. The name Gobi is a Mongol meaning desert, depression, salt marsh, or steppe, but which usually refers to a category of arid rangeland with insufficient vegetation to support marmots but with enough to support camels. Mongols distinguish gobi from desert proper, although the distinction is not always apparent to outsiders unfamiliar with the Mongolian landscape. Gobi rangelands are fragile and are easily destroyed by overgrazing, which results in expansion of the true desert, a stony waste where not even Bactrian camels can survive.Average temperatures over most of the country are below freezing from November through March and are about freezing in April and October. January and February averages of -20° C are common, with winter nights of -40° C occurring most years. Summer extremes reach as high as 38° C in the southern Gobi region and 33° C in Ulaanbaatar. More than half the country is covered by permafrost, which makes construction, road building, and mining difficult. All rivers and freshwater lakes freeze over in the winter, and smaller streams commonly freeze to the bottom. Ulaanbaatar lies at 1,351 meters above sea level in the valley of the Tuul Gol, a river. Located in the relatively well-watered north, it receives an annual average of 31 centimeters of precipitation, almost all of which falls in July and in August. Ulaanbaatar has an average annual temperature of -2.9°C and a frost-free period extending on the average from mid-June to late August.
Mongolia's weather is characterized by extreme variability and short-term unpredictability in the summer, and the multiyear averages conceal wide variations in precipitation, dates of frosts, and occurrences of blizzards and spring dust storms. Such weather poses severe challenges to human and livestock survival. Official statistics list less than 1 percent of the country as arable, 8 to 10 percent as forest, and the rest as pasture or desert. Grain, mostly wheat, is grown in the valleys of the Selenge river system in the north, but yields fluctuate widely and unpredictably as a result of the amount and the timing of rain and the dates of killing frosts. Although winters are generally cold and clear, there are occasional blizzards that do not deposit much snow but cover the grasses with enough snow and ice to make grazing impossible, killing off tens of thousands of sheep or cattle. Such losses of livestock, which are an inevitable and, in a sense, normal consequence of the climate, have made it difficult for planned increases in livestock numbers to be achieved.
Population:
Mongolia population 2015
During 2015 Mongolia population is projected to increased by 43 528 people and reach 2 966 801 in the beginning of 2016. The natural increase is expected to be positive, as the number of births will exceed the number of deaths by 43 528. Because of the lack of official information related to external migration we do not include it to our estimation. Most probably the difference between immigrants and emigrants is not significant and is close to zero. That means the population of Mongolia is changing mainly due the natural reasons only (births and deaths).
Population dynamics in 2015
According to our estimations, daily change rates of Mongolia population in 2015 will be the following:
- 168 live births average per day (6.98 in a hour)
- 48 deaths average per day (2.02 in a hour)
- 0 people due to external migration (0.00 in a hour)
The population of Mongolia will be increased by 119 persons daily in 2015.Mongolia population density
Mongolia population density is 1.9 people per square kilometer as of December 2015. Density of population is calculated as permanently settled population of Mongolia divided by total area of the country. Total area is the sum of land and water areas within international boundaries and coastlines of Mongolia. The total area of Mongolia is 1 564 120 km2 according to the United Nations Statistics Division
Language:
Khalkha Mongolian, the official language, is spoken by about 90% of the population. It is one of a large dialect group in the Mongolic branch of the Altaic language family. Early in the 13th century, the Mongols adopted an alphabet written in vertical columns from the Turkic Uighurs, and they retained that script until modern times. The literary language differed increasingly from the living spoken language and, in 1941, the Mongolian government decided to introduce a new phonetic alphabet that would accurately reflect modern spoken Mongolian. The new alphabet consisted of the Cyrillic letters used in Russian, except for two special characters needed to render the Mongolian vowels represented as ö and ü in Western European languages. After a period of preparation (1941–45), the new alphabet was introduced in 1946 in all publications and in 1950 in all business transactions, but, following independence, the traditional script was due to be restored in 1994.
The differences between the Khalkha language spoken in Mongolia, the Buryat language spoken in the Buryat Republic of the Russian Federation, the Chahar and Ordos languages of China's Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region, and other Mongolian dialects are comparatively small and chiefly phonetic. A characteristic phonetic feature of Mongolian is the law of vowel harmony, which requires that a word contain either the so-called back vowels, represented as a, o, and u in Western European languages, or the so-called front vowels, represented as e (ā), ö, and ü, but not an association of the two types of vowels. Turkic, Russian, and Chinese are also spoken.
Religion
Before the government's campaign against religion in the 1930s, there were about 700 Buddhist monasteries with about 100,000 lamas in Mongolia. During 1936–39, the Communist regime closed virtually all monasteries, confiscated their livestock and landholdings, tried the higher lamas for counterrevolutionary activities, and induced thousands of lower lamas to adopt a secular mode of life. In the mid-1980s, only about 100 lamas remained. Since the new constitution of 1992 established freedom of religion, Mahayana Buddhism has made a surprising resurgence. Former monasteries have been restored, and there is a seminary at Gandantegchinlen Hiyd. In 1992, Roman Catholic missionaries were also encouraged to come to Mongolia to continue the presence they had initiated earlier in the century.
A 2004 report indicated that about 50% of the population practiced some form of Buddhism, mostly Lamaist (or Tibetan) Buddhism. About 4% of the population were ethnic Kazakh Muslims. There were small Christian communities throughout the country, including Roman Catholics, Russian Orthodox, and Protestants. It is believed that some natives practice shamanism. About 40% of the population still claims no religious affiliation.
The constitution provides for freedom of religion and the separation of church and state. However, the government has reserved the right to place some restrictions on religious activities. For instance, the government can limit the number of churches and clergy allowed for each religious organization. Religious groups are required to register through the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs.
Migrations
Migration in Mongolia, like in most countries of the world, is a survival strategy. Migration is not a new strategy in Mongolia – it now takes a new form to face new challenges, and is led by individuals' and families' choices, not by the state's plans. The present urban population is above one million. In recent years, Mongolia has experienced as continued rural to urban migration flows, particular to Ulaanbaatar, in search of better life. According to 2000 population and housing census (NSO, 2001), one third of the total population of Ulaanbaatar as migrants and representing almost a half or 965.3 thousand population of Mongolia live in Ulaanbaatar (NSO, 2006).
Population is unevenly spread on the Mongolian territory, indicating its dual character of an urban population as well as a nomadic population relying on livestock. The overall migration and population distribution scenario dramatically changed due to the economic and development policies of the Government since 1950s.
Until 1980s it was a period of industrialization, collectivisation and the transformation nto a modern industrial-agricultural society. During the introduction of collectivisation of livestock and initial industrialisation, the rural outflow to urban areas increased substantially. Industrialization, building of railroads and expanding of crop industry since 1960s had caused a visible change in the population resettlement. Thousands of people from all corners of the country moved to and settled in newly established towns and small villages along the railroad. Aimag (province) centres grew larger. Small and médium towns and soums with several thousand inhabitants were established. All of them developed into education, trade and administration centres. From 1956-1969 the urban population increased three times while the rural population grew only by 10 per cent. And in the mid of 1970s the urban population exceeded the rural population. In these days, the major industrial-urban concentrations proved as strong as magnets for migrants. These include the Capital city Ulaanbaatar, and newly established industrial-urban centres Darkhan, and Erdenet. During this period (i.e. before 1980s), as a consequence of the industrialization policy, which created industrial complexes in existing urban locations and at new sites; marginal increases in rural production that could not absorb the growing rural population; and administrative channelling of job movement to urban areas where labour resources were needed, rural to urban migration was intensively increased. The propensity to migrate within Mongolia has fluctuated appreciably over the last twenty years. Due to data availability trends of internal migration have illustrated for the period of 1983-2004 (Figure 1). Overall, the level of internal migration fell by almost 20 percent during the late 1980s after having increased during the mid 1980s except the year of 1985. During the 1980s, urbanization was significantly increased. Urban dwellers were rapidly becoming a majority of the entire population of the country. Almost 60 per cent of the total population lived in urban areas in that time. A growing population of urbanpopulation was living in three big cities (Ulaanbaatar, Darkhan and Erdenet) and aimag centres.
Since 1991 internal migration level has suddenly increased owing to the beginning of the transition period from a centrally planned economy to a market oriented one. In 1991, the total number of migrants reached to 134.6 thousands, it means 5 times higher than that for the early 1980s (Figure 1). There seems no doubt that the explanation for the increased migration level in the 1990s is to be found in the effects of changes in the economy, society, and political affairs. During this period economic development is accompanied by structural changes and the reforms been undertaken. Since the country embarked on a transition to a market guided economy, the normal patterns of development have been reversed. During the 1990s, the following migration patterns have been obviously observed in Mongolia. Those are:
Data from the 2000 census indicates that 20.7 percent of the population lived outside their places of birth and 5.0 percent returned to their birthplace
Since 1990 Mongolian people have started enjoying their freedoms and travelled abroad extensively. The socio-economic situation in Mongolia, unemployment, low
remunerations and income are the primary factors contributing to international migration.
UN
Small countries like Mongolia, the international organizations, in particular the United Nations, play a pivotal role with regards to protecting their national interests through the political and diplomatic means, communicating their prospects and voice concerning the issues on the global agenda as well as making progress in the development path. Therefore, the position multilateral cooperation occupies in and contribution it makes to the achievement of Mongolia’s foreign policy goals has been increasing.
Since its fully-fledged membership on October 27 1961, Mongolia has been an active member of the UN participating and contributing to its activities and purposes. With the UN membership Mongolia ensured its independence and sovereignty, safeguarded its security and strengthened its position in the international community. The UN supported efforts of Mongolia in its socio-economic development, environment protection, democracy promotion and human rights. In this way Mongolia benefited significantly from its UN membership and multilateral cooperation.
Mongolia participated and committed itself to the implementation of the decisions from the UN major conferences and summits, which took since 2000, on children, financing for development and transit cooperation of landlocked developing countries.
Mongolia initiated more than 70 resolutions in the General Assembly, of which 10 were adopted in the past five years. General Assembly resolutions on “UN Literacy Decade (2003-2012),” “Support by the UN system of the efforts of Governments to promote and consolidate new and restored democracies,” “Improvement of the situation of women in rural areas,” “Cooperatives in social development” request UN and its system organizations as well as Member States to take concrete steps towards resolving issues raised in the above resolutions.
Mongolia is active in the following concrete areas: Mongolia’s international security, UN peacekeeping operations, socio-economic development, addressing special needs of landlocked developing countries.
Economy
In recent years Mongolia has become one of the most rapidly expanding economies in the world. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, it was one of the top performers in 2013, with economic growth of 11.7 per cent, and it is projected to be the second top-performing economy in 2014, only after South Sudan (about 15 per cent).
Mongolia is a sparsely populated country with a total population of 2.9 million. Because of the economy’s rapid expansion over the last few years, the World Bank now classifies Mongolia as a mid-low income country for per capita income, and it is expected to enter mid-high income in the near future according to Mongolia’s Ministry of Economic Development.
The main driver of this rapid economic expansion has been the mining industry’s development. Mongolia is richly endowed with natural resources. With increasing commodities prices in the world market for the past 15 years, the mining sector’s share in GDP increased from 14 to 25 per cent. Mongolia’s main export commodities are copper, gold and coal, and Mongolia is now one of the major coal exporters to China, briefly overtaking Australia in 2011 and 2012.
Moreover, it is expected that during the next five years major mining projects of copper (Oyu Tolgoi project) and coal (Tavan Tolgoi project) will reach their full potential, likely further increasing economic expansion. By some estimates, Mongolia’s GDP will reach US$25 billion by 2020, which is 2.5 times the size of today’s economy.
These developments haven’t gone unnoticed in the world market. Mongolia has become one of the most attractive economies for investors. In 2013 alone the Mongolian government sold US$1.8 billion of bonds in world markets, which is a testament to the strong upside expectation of the economy.
Therefore a major policy question is whether Mongolia has enough safeguards in place to protect itself from drastic fluctuations in its terms of trade. Inside Mongolia there is broad agreement about the need to conduct countercyclical macroeconomic policies — especially that the government should be saving during good times to be able to maintain the level of expenditure during economic troughs and stimulate the economy when needed. However, looking at the past 10 years of policymaking, Mongolian governments have found it hard to implement these policies in practice.
During and after the 2008–09 world economic crisis the difficulties of implementing and maintaining these policies were on full display. One problem was that, in order to win elections, political parties had great incentives to promote and execute populist policies, such as cash distributions to citizens. To stop these kinds of policies, which greatly hurt macroeconomic stability, major political parties agreed to control this practice and the parliament passed the Fiscal Stability Law in 2010, putting limits on government debt, increases in expenditure and the budget deficit. However, even this law was not enough to discipline the government.
Since the country desperately needs to develop and expand its infrastructure to promote economic diversification, the government has found it hard to resist spending more. Its efforts in raising capital by issuing bonds in foreign and domestic markets, and spending it through the newly established Development Bank of Mongolia (DBM), have undermined the spirit of the Fiscal Stability Law. At the end of 2013, budget deficit was at 8 per cent of GDP (including the DBM’s loans) and the overall debt level already exceeded the limit of 40 per cent of GDP set out by the law.
While the Mongolian government finds itself maintaining increasingly expansionary fiscal policies, the Bank of Mongolia (the central bank) is simultaneously undertaking expansionary monetary policy by extending more credit to government and commercial banks. As a result, in 2013, inflation reached 12 per cent and the exchange rate depreciated more than 20 per cent.
It should be noted that the exchange rate’s sharp depreciation was also exacerbated by a decrease in the country’s terms of trade. In contrast to previous years, the terms of trade depreciated by 15 per cent in 2013. Subsequently, the current account deficit for the year reached US$3 billion, or 28 per cent of GDP, and foreign direct investment decreased by 48 per cent (Mongol Bank – Balance of Payment statistics).
This sudden reversal in foreign direct investment also reflects another great challenge for the country. It is evident from the experiences of resource-abundant countries that the quality of institutions is a key ingredient in successfully taking advantage of the opportunities presented by the mining boom. That is, if a country’s institutional quality remains weak, the country will not be able to attract foreign investment, which is of paramount importance to reaching full economic potential.
Flag
The Mongolia flag consists of 3 vertical colored stripes: red, blue, red. Within the left-hand stripe is the Buddhist Soyombo symbol, which has become the national symbol of Mongolia. The Soyombo symbol and the colors of the flag manifests Mongolia's Buddhist heritage.
The blue symbolizes the colour of the land of the blue sky. It has Buddhist associations with the sky, purity and healing. Blue prayer flags are commongoly left on buddhist ovoos throughout Mongolia. Visitors may be given a blue flag by a local, a special gesture meaning their prayers are with you.
The red symbolizes freedom and advancement. No doubt the communists were content to leave it on the Mongolia flag from 1920s to 1990s due to its associations with Socialism.
The Soyombo Symbol
The (gold) Soyombo symbol is the national emblem of Mongolia. It appears in the country's coat of arms.
Meanings:
There is a surprising amount of variation in the interpretations of this symbol: every source seems to have its own spin on things. This is because the Soyombo symbol was created by a Buddhist lama over 300 years ago, and most religious scripts and records were burned during Communist repressions, so it's impossible to reach a definitive answer.
Starting from the Top: The fire represents eternal growth, revival and renewal, with the three prongs signifying yesterday, today and tomorrow. It sits atop the Sun and Moon, which is more commonly read to symbolize the universe (but it is also interpreted as the origin of the Mongolian people, or that the Mongolians will live forever, depending on what you read). Under this is are symbols taken to be arrows. Their meaning is a willingness to defend their values, or to vanquish their enemies. Between the arrows on the Mongolia flag is a ying-yang symbol (ancient Chinese symbol depicting the complementary dualities of light and dark, man and woman, old and young, etc.). Some say it is a symbol of two fish (the fish meaning vigilance as they never close their eyes) but given the Soyombo was created by a Buddhist with strong links to China I think the yin-yang is far more likely. Surrounding this are two vertical rectangles, which are typcically taken to represent stone walls of a fortress, symbolizing strength and unity.
The Soyombo symbol on a communist military medal. The symbol is seen everywhere in Mongolia these days as locals sport it on car stickers, key chains, and even tattoos with meanings as a nationalist or patriotic symbol.
During the communist years (but since removed) a 5-point star was placed on top of the fire in the Soyombo symbol. This gold star on a red background signifies that your country has been taken over by an autocratic, authoritarian communist government. It represents forced collectivization, removal of personal freedoms, the wholesale destruction of a nation's history and culture, the execution of the educated and religious classes, and the removal of a capitalist elite to be replaced by an equally corrupt and nepotistic socialist beauracracy....doesn't it?
Origins:
The Soyombo symbol is part of a special Mongolian alphabet called the Soyombo script. Mongolians of course currently use the Russian cryllic script, and the more commonly-known ancient Mongolian script is a script separate from the script containing the Soyombo symbol. The Mongolian script is still used in Inner Mongolia today, and originated from the Uighur alphabet [the Uighurs are a Turkic people who today form the indiginous minority in Chinese Xinjiang province, which neighbors Chinese inner Mongolia and borders south-western Mongolia].
Goverment
On January 13, 1992, the Parliament adopted a new constitution. The Constitution also restructured the legislative branch of the government by creating a unicameral parliamentary legislature. The Constitution was put into force on February 12, 1992 and amended in 1999 and 2001.The Parliament of Mongolia is referred to as the State Great Khural, which is the highest organ of state power. The Parliament consists of 76 members appointed for a term of four years. The last parliamentary election was held on June 28, 2012 and the next parliamentary election is expected to be held in June 2016.
The Parliament confirms the appointment of the Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers. The Parliament has the power to draft legislation, enact and amend laws, approve the annual budget, approve foreign and domestic policies, declare states of emergency and war and ratify international treaties and agreements.
President of Mongolia
The President is the head of state, commander-in-chief of the armed forces and head of the National Security Council. The President is second in authority to the 76-member Parliament. Presidential candidates are nominated by political parties that have at least one seat in the Parliament. Presidents are elected by absolute majority vote to serve a four-year term and are limited to serving two terms. The President is empowered by the Constitution to submit a proposal for the nomination of the Prime Minister, which is then subject to approval by the Parliament, call for dissolution of the Cabinet, initiate legislation and veto all or parts of legislation passed by the Parliament. The President may also confirm appointments of judges, appoint ambassadors, grant pardons and enter into international treaties.
Executive branch
The Prime Minister is the head of the executive branch. The Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Ministers are nominated by the ruling party and confirmed by the President. They are limited to serving a four-year term. The Prime Minister chooses the members of the Cabinet, subject to the Parliament’s approval. The Cabinet appoints and removes deputy ministers on the basis of the proposal of the Prime Minister and the relevant Minister.
The Cabinet is the highest executive body of Mongolia. The Cabinet is in place for a four-year term or a shorter term when it is dissolved upon either resignation of the Prime Minister, simultaneous resignation of half of the Cabinet or parliamentary vote for dissolution. The Cabinet and its ministries are accountable to the Parliament.
The main function of the Cabinet is to implement the laws of Mongolia, in accordance with its duties to direct economic, social and cultural development of Mongolia. The Cabinet is currently coinposed of 16 ministries, which carry out the Cabinet’s various programs and projects and formulate policies in their relevant areas.
The current Government
During Mongolia’s seventh parliamentary elections held on June 28, 2012, the Democratic Party won 31 parliamentary seats, the MPP won 25 pailiamentary seats and the other parties shared 16 parliamentary seats in the Parliament. The Democratic Party having won the most number of seats in the Parliament was entitled to form the current government. They formed a coalition government with the Justice Coalition, which consists of the New MPRP and the MNDP, and the Civil Will-Green Party, as the two minority parties. The new coalition government has been named the Reform Government.
Political Parties
The Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP), which had been the single ruling party since 1924, legalized opposition parties in 1990. In addition to the MPRP, major parties prior to the 2004 elections included the Motherland Democratic Party (MDP), which included the Mongolian National Democratic Party (MNDP), the Mongolian Social Democratic Party (MSDP), the Green Party (NYAM), and the Mongolian Democratic Party of Believers (MDPB); Mongolian Conservative Party (MCP); Democratic Power Coalition, which included the Mongolian Democratic Renaissance Party (MDRP) and Mongolian People's Party (MPP); Mongolian National Solidarity Party (MNSP); Bourgeois Party/Capitalist Party; United Heritage Party (UHP), which included the United Party of Herdsman and Farmers, Independence Party; Traditional United Conservative Party, and Mongolian United Private Property Owners Party; and the Mongolian Workers Party.In the first election for the State Great Hural (SGH) 28 June 1992, the MPRP won 56.9% of the vote and 71 of 76 seats in the SGH. In the first direct presidential election, 6 June 1993, President Punsalmaagiyn Ochirbat (first elected president 3 September 1990) was reelected with 58% of the vote. A former member of the MPRP, Ochirbat defeated that party's candidate, running as head of a coalition of the SDP and MNDP.
In the elections of 30 June 1996, the Democratic Union Coalition (which included the MNDP, the MSDP, and two smaller parties) defeated the MPRP, winning 50 of 76 seats (an increase of 44 seats). The MPRP won 25 seats, and the remaining seat went to the MCP. The DUC campaign platform included the Mongolia's Contract With Voters, which promised to cut government spending, reduce welfare, and reorganize the transformation of the government.
In the July 2000 parliamentary elections, MRPR candidates won 72 or the 76 seats, with the remaining 4 seats won (one each) by MNDP, the Civil Courage Party or Civil Will Party (CWP) in alliance with the Mongolian Green, the Motherland Alliance (the Mongol Democratic New Socialist Party and the Mongolian Labor Party), and an independent nonpartisan candidate.
General elections held in 2004 resulted in an impasse, as neither the MPRP or nor the main opposition, the Motherland Democratic Party (MDP), held the 39 seats required to form a government. The MPRP was dealt a devastating blow with a reduction in parliamentary seats from 72 to 36. Electoral fraud was suspected on the part of the MDC and a recount was ordered. Parliament was not able to meet for the first half of 2004 as neither side wished to pursue legislation while the electoral investigation was ongoing. In August, the MPRP formed a
coalition with the MDC and Tsakhilganiin Elbegdorj retained his post of prime minister for a second term.
History
Foreign Policy
Since the development of political pluralism and transition to democracy and market economy, Mongolia pursues peaceful, open, independent and multi-pillared foreign policy. Today the country maintains diplomatic relations with 163 countries.In 2011, the contemporary diplomatic service celebrated its Centennial anniversary and Golden anniversary of membership of Mongolia in United Nations Organization.
Mongolia is successfully developing friendly relations and cooperation with our two neighbors, third neighbors and many western and eastern countries. Relations with UN organizations and other international and regional organizations deepened and Mongolia’s participation increased in multilateral regional activities, which led to strengthened reputation of our country in international arena.
Mongolia successfully chaired the Community of Democracies for the years 2011-2013 and organized the VII Ministerial Conference of the Community of Democracies in Ulaanbaatar on 27-29 April 2013.
Taking into account the ever changing external and internal environment as well as objectives and challenges ahead of us, State Great Hural of Mongolia passed renewed concept of foreign policy of Mongolia in February 2011.
As a part of foreign policy priorities of Mongolia, bilateral relationships with Russian Federation and People’s Republic of China has elevated to a new strategic partnership level while expanding close cooperation. At the same time, relations and cooperation with “third neighbors” has advanced. For instance, strategic partnership relations with Japan and comprehensive partnership commitment with United States, Germany, Republic of Korea, India and Turkey have been strengthened respectively. Meanwhile, more substantial progresses have been achieved in relationships and cooperation with European Union and its member countries which is considered as one of our foreign policy priorities.
Mongolia continues to actively advance diplomacy to strengthen its position in the Asian region, to intensify bilateral relationships with other regional countries, to engage to a dialogue on political, security and economic cooperation of the region and to participate in the regional integration processes. As expanding its traditional relations with Asian partnership states, Mongolia has strengthened friendly relations and cooperation with ASEAN member countries and thus increased frequency of high-level visits. Mongolia’s accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia in 2005 shows a clear and convincing evidence of its commitment to expand its relationship with ACEAN. Within the regional cooperation frameworks, Mongolia engages, through its certain assigned status, in important regional integration events and mechanisms, including the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD), the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) and the Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC) and the Bali Democracy Forum (BDF).
Domestic Policy
Mongolia is a relative newcomer to a market economy. Prior to the former government's (NDU) ascension to power, an estimated 80% of the Mongolian economy was under state control and the government budget remained unbalanced. Enkhbayar faces many of the same issues as former Prime Minister Amarjargal, including significant social and economic dislocations caused by economic change in the previous decade, particularly increased homelessness, hunger, and crime. As of 2001, an estimated 35% of the Mongolian population was living below the poverty line. About 50% of the population live and work in rural areas, while more than 40% are heavily dependent on nomadic, herding lifestyles, subsisting largely on bartering and the sales of leather, wool, milk, and meat.In the wake of dzud (severe blizzards) in the winters of 2000 and 2001, more than 75,000 families in inner Mongolia were near starvation. By January 2001, more than 220,000 heads of livestock were lost due to the storms. This prompted the influx of foreign aid, particularly food aid. In 2000 and 2001, the European Union (EU) provided around € 2.9 million to address the consequences of the dzud.
Enkhbayar had several goals, including maintaining both political stability and a multiparty democracy, improving the economy, and reversing the decline in standard of living. Even with a strong commitment to aggressive privatization, the economic situation in Mongolia is bad: growth is slow and fails to attract adequate foreign investment. Enkhbayar has implemented plans to raise wages and pensions and to reorganize the rural herding economy to boost the incomes of nomadic people; however, this continued to prove difficult. While privatization has made pasturing near urban areas more lucrative, herders are finding that there is not enough viable pasture land near cities. The lack of roads makes herding in urban areas more unmanageable, especially during winter months when 90% of the country may be covered in snow and roads inaccessible.
Enkhbayar's vision of reform includes a plan for modernization and urbanization that may seem to be at odds with the traditional nomadic lifestyles of many Mongolians. In an interview with theFar Eastern Economic Review , he stated: "It is not my desire to destroy the original Mongolian identity, but in order to survive we have to stop being nomads." Enkhbayar proposed building cities across the country and urbanizing up to 90% of the population over 30 years. The project proposes the construction of "Millennium Road," a crosscountry highway, and the development of Internet, communications,and banking infrastructures by 2015. The US $200 million needed for the road project alone will necessarily come from a combination of domestic and foreign sources. Enkhbayar cites international lending agencies, fees for mineral exploration licenses, and government funds as possible sources.